Effects of Supplementary Feeding of Hill Ewes in Late Pregnancy and Early Lactation on Ewe and Lamb Performance

Five experiments compared the effects of supplementary feeding of hill ewes in late pregnancy and early lactation. Feeding 14.3 kg of concentrates during the final 6 or 9 weeks of pregnancy increased ewe survival rates by 8-9%, lamb birth weights by 3-10%, numbers of lambs alive at birth by 2.9% and at weaning by 6-9%. It had no effect on lamb weaning weights. The response to feed blocks was poor, the main effect being to increase lamb birth weights by 6%. Selective feeding of thin ewes at 25% of the feed input was as effective as supplementation of the whole flock. When 19 kg of concentrates were fed in both late pregnancy and early lactation, ewe post-partum and weaning weights were increased by 10% and 16%, respectively, ewe survival by 6%, lamb birth and weaning weights by 9% and 28%, and the numbers of lambs alive at birth and at weaning by 6% and 13%, respectively. Improved nutrition in early lactation affected not only milk production but also body condition of the ewes. The regression of lamb liveweight gain on ewe gain during the lactation period was 1.05 and highly significant.